Instagram Weekend Recap & Spring Desserts
PIN IT!Hi everyone! I hope y’all had a good weekend! Before I share my tasty weekend, I want to share two more even tastier desserts I worked on last week for She Knows. Trust me, y’all are going to want to try them. Especially with Easter coming up!
So incredibly delicious. So make them! Now, onto my weekend. It was surprisingly eventful and full of last minute, spontaneous adventures. Which, as you may know for my penchant for planning things, isn’t something that happens often. And you know what? It needs to! I had a blast! Not only was it fabulous, it was full of delicious eats and drinks that I snapped with my iPhone. [On Instagram? Follow me! Realnutritioncg!] So, why not share with you, my fellow food and drink lovers!
On Friday, I had a friend over and we watched some truly great pieces of Cinema, like Shark Night and Paul. However, we did end the night with Midnight In Paris, which has me so head over heels in love with that city I can barely stand it. To go with our movie night, I made Gina’s skinny spinach and artichoke dip.
So freaking good! We paired this dip (which we shamefully ate like 1/3 of) with the cutest bottle of wine, called Middle Sister.
It was surprisingly good! It’s always a hit or miss when you get “white table wine” but this was a really good bottle. Crisp, fruity with just a hint of dryness. I’m definitely a fan.
On Saturday, aka St. Patrick’s Day, I didn’t really have any big plans, until my hubs surprised me with a date night! Because the fact I work in the food/blog world, I’ve been over St. Patrick’s Day since the beginning of March (when all my articles were due!) So instead of noshing on traditional Irish fare, we went to a Mexican place right near our house. I may have been over Irish food, but I still rocked green pants to celebrate.
Plus, it was warm enough I could rock my new flower sandals from Victoria’s Secret! (They have great summer shoes!)
The weather was absolute perfection we sat on the patio with margaritas and chips and dip.
Hubs got a burrito (and ate the entire thing) and I got a steak fajita salad. It was amazing! After dinner, we putzed around town then went to see 21 Jump Street. Guys? YOU HAVE TO SEE IT. It’s absolutely hilarious (I was tearing up because I was laughing so hard) and it has Channing Tatum.
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Do you really need more reason than that? I think not. Although it was so fun to hang out with the hubs (he’s been so busy with work), I did miss a happy hour being hosted by Gretchen for some of my fabulous healthy living/runner friends, including my amazing roomie from HLS, Caitlin.
I would have been BUMMED if I missed her so we made a plan to meet for brunch Sunday morning at Kramerbooks. She was joined by the lovely Ashley and Theodora, who I didn’t know until yesterday and absolutely love. She’s so sweet! Caitlin, Theodora and I sat down (Ashley had other brunch plans), ordered some great food and caught up. It was just so nice to see them!
Brie, tomato and basil omelet. So good but SO filling.
After they left, I did some cookbook browsing while waiting for my hubby to meet me for a wine tasting in Adam’s Morgan.
When he finally got into the city, we stopped by the cutest little farmers market in DuPont and tasted some cheese. (Obviously).
Then we made the hike to Adam’s Morgan for a wine tasting! He heard about it through a friend and I’m so glad we went! It was at a bar (which I can’t remember the name for the life of me) and was featuring the French winery, Cave de Lugny, who is known for their un-oaked Chardonnay.
We got to try three different varieties of Chardonnay. Of all three, I liked the 3rd the most because it was definitely more buttery and fruity. The other two were pretty crisp and dry.
Plus, the coolest part of the whole thing was the fact that they flew out the wine maker, FROM FRANCE, to chat about the wines! Freakin’ cool, right?
My shirt is really billowy so please disregard the fact I look pregnant. In addition to learning about wine, they also had some delicious cheeses and snacks.
After a few snacks, we left because E was hungry for something with more substance. So, I suggested “let’s get a jumbo slice!” See, I’ve never been to Adam’s Morgan (I know, and I live here?) and all I hear about Adam’s Morgan is the jumbo slice. So, we headed to Pizza Mart (which was featured on Travel Channel) for a slice. And um, they don’t lie when they say it’s jumbo. The thing is flipping huge. More than enough for a family of 5.
So big, in fact, E had to eat it with a fork and knife.
After that binge and my brunch, I was in a serious food coma. So, we headed back home and I proceeded to lay on the couch for the remainder of the night. Shockily, despite this binge, I lost -2 pounds since last week! Down a total of 4 pounds since starting Weight Watchers, but I’ll save all that for another post I have coming up this week.
So friends, how was your weekend? Share your favorite highlights with me!
Delicious St. Patrick's Day Roundup
Happy Friday friends!! It’s a little gloomy over here in Northern Virgina, which is a sad change of events from how gorgeous it’s been the past couple days. It’s been in the 80’s, sunny and just perfect. Plus, our cherry blossom tree even started blossoming early! (We had no idea we had one, too. Bonus!)
So pretty, right? Well, here’s hoping today perks up, temperature and sun wise b/c this current cold, overcast situation outside is making me a little gloomy.
However, there’s one thing that can quickly perk me up and that’s ST. PATRICK’S DAY! Y’all have anything planned? I have no wild and crazy plans but do plan on enjoying a few libations with some fellow bloggers. And yes, I’ll be wearing green and drinking some Guinness.
Since this fantastic holiday is tomorrow, I wanted to share with y’all last minute planners my tried and true favorite St. Patrick’s Day dishes, broken up into skinny and indulgent.
Skinny:
Double chocolate Guinness bundt cake
Indulgent:
Chocolate cupcakes with festive butter cream
So delicious! Plus, check out other amazing ways you can use Guinness in cooking and baking! Just make sure you don’t play with green food dye after you’ve had a few drinks, this is what will happen (hint: look at Oscar’s hair).
Happy St. Patrick’s!!!
Healthy Start Giveaway!
Hi friends! It must be your lucky year because I have ANOTHER amazing giveaway for y’all! And this one has to do with starting your day off right, healthy and happy. What could be better than that!
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Now, I’ll be honest. I don’t always eat breakfast. Although I work from home, my schedule is still as jam packed as it was before. As soon as I’m up and Oscar is out, I’m busy cooking, photographing, editing and writing. Sometimes, it’s 1pm and I haven’t had more than a cup of cofffee. I know this is bad, but it’s how it is. So when the lovely folks at Rise Bar sent me a box of their healthy start granola and protein bars, I was thrilled. A super healthy breakfast I can eat while cooking and photographing? Sign me up! Plus, the box contained protein and energy bars for when I hit that 3pm slump.
Unlike many other fiber and protein bars, these are ALL NATURAL, or what I like to call, real food. They have no pesky preservatives, no weird ingredients you can’t pronounce, no strange or odd textures that could only be a result of strange factory production. These bars are fresh and full of the amazing, healthy ingredients you need to start your day right (and ingredients to keep your day and diet on the right track).
Like chunks of dried fruit, crunchy nuts, whole grains and oats and drizzled honey. YUM! Plus, the energy bars have 3 grams of protein, the breakfast bars contain 6 and the protein bars contain a whopping 20 grams!
Oh and not to mention, every single bar is completely gluten-free! Yep! Not a dash of wheat in sight.
Oh and even better? The energy bars are completely VEGAN!
So not only are these delicious, super healthy and full of natural, real flavors, they have a bar for everyone. Aren’t they just the best?
Plus, isn’t the packaging just the cutest?
Thanks to the amazing people at Rise Bar, one lucky reader will recieve one ENTIRE box of rise bars to enjoy! Yep, AN ENTIRE BOX! Plus, that’s not all! They will also recieve one voucher for a FREE GoodBelly product!
What’s GoodBelly? An innovative company in Denver that has created an entire line of healthy, natural probiotic products that are VEGAN! They have juices in all sizes, including a line for kids!
So, to sum up, you get an amazing box of Rise Bars AND a free GoodBelly product! Now, onto the important thing, how can you win? Easy peasy!
1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite breakfast food. Be sure to also link to your email or blog so I can contact you if you win!
Plus one extra entry for each of these!
2. Like me (The Realistic Nutritionist) on Facebook
3. Like Rise Bar on Facebook
4. Follow me (@realnutritioncg) on Twitter
5. Follow Rise Bar (@risebar) on Twitter
6. Follow GoodBelly (@GoodBellyDrink) on Twitter
7. Follow my boards (ClaireV13) on Pinterest
Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 20th at midnight. Good luck, friends!
Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Mashed Potatoes with Kale & Garlic Recipe
What happens when Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day reproduce? You get this.
Which, I’ll be honest, I’m not mad about. Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods, any time of the year and kale is a close second. Not only is kale super trendy right now (and you know me, following the trends) it has 0 points and is considered a power food (Plus, it’s green for St. Patty’s!). Anything that’s a power food is going straight to my belly this month because I need to lose 8 pounds by April 20th. Yep, 8 real pounds.
I know you’re probably like, “you aren’t going to lose that eating mashed potatoes!” And you couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, the delicious kind my mom makes with 2 sticks of butter and a tub of sour cream may stunt my efforts, but these? These luscious tots? They don’t have ANY butter and just a smidgen of fat free sour cream and light cream cheese. So they are guilt-free and just as delicious.
Now, why is kale a power food anyway? It’s just a leaf, right?
Well yes, but it’s much more than that! Kale is full of super antioxidants and nutrients, like calcium, vitamin C, folic acids, maganese and the powerful carotenoids lutein and zeaxathin, which help prevent UV damage to the eyes, among other things. The maganese in this leafy vegetable help aid your body’s defense system too. A lot hiding under that simple leafy, exterior!
Paired with fiber rich potatoes, you’ve got one healthy and naturally green meal! Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day should mate more often, don’t you think?
Recipe adapted from A Couple Cooks and Spark Recipes.
Mashed Potatoes with Garlic & Kale
Serves about 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 5 large russet potatoes, rinsed (you can keep the skin on or remove it)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2/3 – 3/4 cups low sodium, organic chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
- 2 tablespoons low fat cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup kale, wilted
- Liberal dashes of salt and pepper
Directions:
- Prepare potatoes by cutting them into quarters and placing them in a large pot. Add enough water to cover them and set to boil. Boil potatoes for about 6 minutes, or until soft when pierced with a fork. Rinse and place back into the pot.
- While potatoes boil, saute garlic in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add in 2/3 cup chicken broth, cream cheese, sour cream and garlic. Beat with a handheld mixer or immersion blender until soft. Stir in wilted chopped kale. Add additional chicken broth or cream cheese for creaminess. Season liberally with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Nutritional information per 1/2 cup:
Calories: 95 calories
Fat: 2.8 grams
Carbohydrates: 19 grams
Protein: 4 grams
Fiber: 1.9 grams
Weight Watchers Points Plus Points: 3
Like That? Try This! Spicy Pork Crock Pot Stew
Hi friends! Can I get an “UGH IT’S MONDAY!” from the audience? I’m having a rough Monday so this post may be a bit short. I also have a batch of cupcakes to decorate, an angel food cake to prepare, some cookies and key lime bars to make, dinner to assemble and articles to write! However, I will share a few photos of where I spent my weekend.
Can you imagine my sadness today having to leave it? Charleston is my HAPPY place and I hate leaving every single time. I mean, I just want to move there already! I’ve already found the perfect home!
Just a simple home for 2, right on the beach…ahhh. What a dream. Anyone have 2.9 million I can borrow?
While I daydream about this house and work on my 1000 recipes, I’ll leave you with this incredible spicy pulled pork stew recipe.
Do you like chicken tortilla soup? Well, you’ve GOT TO TRY THIS then! The flavors are similar, but the pulled pork gives the dish more depth and thickness and the fresh chopped cilantro, spicy jalapeno and avocado add just the right amount of spice and fresh, authentic flavor. Trust me, if you like that, you’ll love this 🙂
I’m a huge fan of Mexican flavors and this stew combines them all in perfect harmony. Plus, pulled pork and chunks of stewed veggies? Is there anything better?
Although the veggies, the spice and the pork give this dish depth, flavor and hearty chunks, what really makes it is the addition of the fresh cilantro.
I did a poll on my Facebook page and it seems most of you love this herb as much as I do! How can you hate something so beautiful, is what I want to know!
Now, no dish is complete without a cocktail pairing! Spicy dishes like this pair PERFECTLY with bubbly, fizzy drinks. My hubs and I enjoyed this stew with a few glasses of Scharffenberger brut rose.
The sweet and fizzy flavor paired wonderfully with the spicy stew.
